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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28432878">snowflake kisses</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/blithe_bee/pseuds/blithe_bee'>blithe_bee</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Childhood Friends, Established Relationship, First Love, Fluff, Knight Mark Lee (NCT), M/M, Marriage Proposal, Prince Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Snowball Fight, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Winter, honestly just so much fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:13:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,531</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28432878</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/blithe_bee/pseuds/blithe_bee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Whoever said princes were any different from the rest of the world was horribly mistaken. Donghyuck loves the first snow as much as the next person. He loves running away from his responsibilities, just every once in a while. He loves hot tea and simple conversations and not having to act prim and proper all the time.</p><p>And he really, really loves Mark. His knight in shining armor, or however that goes.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>102</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>snowflake kisses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=waytennie">waytennie</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>here I am with a short, fluffy, wintery markhyuck royalty au! </p><p>this is for gloria, who's brought so, so many smiles on my face this year it would be a hopeless endeavour to even try to count them &lt;3 it was, well, supposed to be a christmas present, but you know how chaotic december has been for me, so I hope you'll accept it as an end of the year present instead. </p><p>I (not very subtly) asked what you wanted to read and you more or less said markhyuck royalty, and something that makes you 'believe in love again', so this happened. childhood best friends and proposals just seemed the way to go, apparently. I don't know if it's a successful attempt, I feel like it's a bit rushed and I apologise, but I hope it makes you smile just a bit, to make up for all the smiles you've gifted me (and as a thank you for that very same reason). 💜</p><p>also, happy new year's everyone!! here's to a hopefully much happier 2021 ♡ please enjoy!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Donghyuck tastes like the stars.</p><p>Truth be told, he is one. The most desirable bachelor, the truly unreachable prince, the sole heir to the throne, and the most beloved person in the entire kingdom. People from the very corners of the land, who’ve only ever heard his name and have little hope of ever actually seeing him, adore him. Children are presented with him as an example of generosity and humanity. He’s a beacon of hope during difficult times, even for the poorest of the poor. Everyone who meets him and everyone he has a positive impact on (and these two coincide) speak greatly of him, and thus his reputation doesn’t just follow him wherever he goes—it precedes him.</p><p>He’s a star in every sense of the word—intelligent and well-spoken, exuberant and charming, of the purest royal descent, kind to the people he’ll one day rule, diplomatic when he needs to be. </p><p>He’s a star and he’s kissing Mark as delicately as one. </p><p>It’s what he always does when he sneaks away from his lessons, finds his way to Mark and drags him away from his morning training and into the gardens, or to the battlements, or the top of one of the numerous towers. This time he’s taken him outside of the castle walls, to the woods and the nearby river, and without a word (well, with one word - <em>Mark</em>) but with a blithe giggle, kissed him. A greeting of their own.</p><p>“I missed you,” he says once he’s pulled away. He sounds earnest, although his eyes glimmer playfully as he pulls his lips into a pout. Mark knows those at court wouldn’t take too kindly to it—but he’s with Mark now, and Mark dares only smile back. </p><p>“That’s unlike you,” Mark says. </p><p>It’s not something Donghyuck’s ever told him. Mark knows Donghyuck has never missed an opportunity to spend time with him, and he’d be blind not to see how he lights up when they’re together. How he comes as one person, stays another, and leaves Mark a happier version of the first. But his life is so vibrant, so fast-changing, so full of new, interesting people, people who admire and respect him and desire his company, brimming with so many colours, so much knowledge he gets to acquire on the daily, that it doesn’t necessarily require Mark in it. Mark can’t think when he’d even have time to miss him, amid his tight schedule.</p><p>Donghyuck frowns at him briefly. He looks at the woods around them, as if hoping they might offer some clarity. Then he’s chuckling, obviously finding Mark’s words senseless.</p><p>“Unlike me? It’s quite like me, actually. I’m baffled you’d think otherwise.” </p><p>He plants another quick, warm kiss to Mark’s lips. Donghyuck’s lips are soft and fragile and plump, and though Mark’s pretty certain his are a bit chapped from being out in the courtyard, in the cold, training since after the dawn mass, it doesn’t seem to deter Donghyuck from returning to them in the least. </p><p>“My mind kept drifting to you during my lessons today. I can’t even tell you how needlessly detailed History of Art is! Especially when it’s snowing so beautifully outside. I wanted to find you and take you out into the first snow as soon as I opened my eyes this morning.”</p><p>The winter chill has painted Mark’s cheeks red, but he’s sure the colour has only intensified with Donghyuck’s words. </p><p>Funny, actually—that’s not very different from Mark’s morning thoughts. Thoughts he nevertheless had to abandon, because, though their days start at vaguely the same hour (an hour that feels even earlier than it is, Mark laments, because his fellow knights always make him hang around with them later into the night than they should), their responsibilities allow neither time to see the other. Not until later in the day.</p><p>“But you spent all these hours in the snow while I recited verses from the old poets to Madame Louise!” Donghyuck accuses. “Hours without me. That’s rather unfair, isn’t it?”</p><p>“I was thinking about you too, though,” Mark says placatingly. “I waited until you could find a moment to slip away.”</p><p>It’s true, and rather embarrassingly so. He really should have been focusing on his tasks instead. But the first snow only comes by once a year, and Mark’s nothing if not a hopeless romantic. (Not that you’d ever hear him admit it. But Donghyuck knows. Donghyuck knows a bit too much, always.)</p><p>“Of course you did! I always have to do all the hard work. Why do you never find an excuse to drag me out yourself?”</p><p>This is their little tradition: come the first snow, they’ll find a way to run away from the castle, ignoring their individual responsibilities for a short while, just to be together for the occasion. </p><p>It’s got them in a fair bit of trouble over the years, in all honesty. One time, during a tournament to commemorate the alliance with the three neighbouring kingdoms, the first snow fell a lot earlier than anyone could have anticipated. They were younger back then, and Donghyuck a lot bolder in his actions. He was also less involved in state business, but as the heir apparent, he was still required to attend the celebrations and be on his best behaviour. It was a big moment for Mark as well—those were his first few months as a squire (to one of the most renowned knights at the time, no less), and a lot was expected of him, especially for such an important event. </p><p>All that was overlooked the moment Donghyuck glanced out the window and saw the snowflakes fluttering through the air outside. He excused himself and, with no explanations, ushered Mark away enthusiastically. When they returned half an hour later, Donghyuck’s parents, the king and queen, were trying to placate the other parties, explaining Donghyuck’s youthful fervour, apologising for his misconduct as if their lives depended on it. They very well might have; it was a complicated situation, as the king of the Northern Kingdom wasn’t particularly happy with the prospect of an alliance. One misstep and everything could easily end in violence.</p><p>To everyone’s surprise, however, the king only looked impressed when he saw the way Donghyuck was standing bravely in front of Mark, hair almost soaking wet and expression hard as he eyed the foreign king down without a care in the world. He was protecting Mark after they'd accused him of being at fault, something which he couldn't stand for. </p><p>When Donghyuck explained why he’d slipped away, the king laughed heartily, saying that his nerve and uprightness were exactly what the kingdom needed. He returned to his food merrier than before, and asked that Donghyuck be seated next to him for the rest of the night, despite usual protocol. </p><p>Thanks to fate’s strange workings, that little experience would become the beginning of Donghyuck’s diplomatic duties, and the reason he now travels so often to other kingdoms. He isn’t that young, reckless boy anymore; his charm, grace and persuasiveness are matched by no other. But he retains his honesty and strength of character, as well as his firm morals, and that’s won him much appreciation from allies and potential enemies alike.</p><p>Mark’s usually not punished for these getaways, only because Donghyuck is the one who initiates them. Given he’s the prince, Mark can’t deny him (not that he’d want to), and that’s been awfully convenient. But if he were to be the one to drag Donghyuck away, the consequences would likely not be pleasant.</p><p>Donghyuck is aware of this. He is, and yet here he stands, smiling coyly at Mark, as if daring him to use that as an excuse.</p><p>In the end, Mark gives up. “You know I can’t. You’re the prince, and I--”</p><p>Donghyuck doesn’t even let him finish, in his excitement to be able to tease him, just as planned. “Tsk tsk. And so the tales of the courage and chivalry of the Knight Order are proven to be just that, tales. Tragic.”</p><p>He says this with an expression of utmost distress and pity, sighing profusely, his hands clasped together, brought up to his chest, as if praying for the fate of the order. </p><p>Mark sighs. Donghyuck’s a kid. He’ll always be a kid to him, no matter how many hearts he captures, how many alliances he secures, how he steadily strengthens the influence of the royal family and betters the life of the kingdom’s common people in the process.</p><p>“Alright, alright. Had your fun?” he says, and Donghyuck shrugs.</p><p>“Certainly. But you still went out into the first snow before me. I still believe that was entirely unsporting of you. And that means one thing only.”</p><p>It’s a rare occurrence to catch the skilled knight unawares, but Donghyuck somehow always does. That’s why, when Donghyuck suddenly crouches down in the snow, Mark merely frowns but says nothing, and also why, moments later, the snowball hits Mark square in the face without him even trying to block or avoid it. </p><p>Simultaneous with the icy impact, Donghyuck erupts into the sweetest laughter.</p><p>“Mark!” he says, looking torn between stepping away, towards possible safety, and reaching forward to help. He eventually settles for the latter and dusts Mark’s now completely red face with his leather glove. “I thought you’d duck!”</p><p>He keeps laughing even by the time Mark finally shakes off his daze and decides that, okay, attacking him by surprise wasn’t very sportsmanly of Donghyuck either. He's got no choice but to get his revenge. Or avenge his honour. That too.</p><p>He procures his own snowball to throw at Donghyuck. He won’t allow himself to be bested, not even by the crown prince. His knightly pride demands more of him. </p><p>Unlike Donghyuck, he at least gives him a forewarning. He lifts his arm high in the air, snowball balanced threateningly towards Donghyuck. He arches his eyebrow at him innocently, implying something along the lines of ‘Shouldn’t you be running?’ and attempts to replicate Donghyuck's saccharine smile. Which must look ridiculous on him, but he tries to push that knowledge aside.  </p><p>Donghyuck squeals (he <em>squeals</em>; Donghyuck <em>never</em> squeals) and tries to make a run for it, but Mark’s faster. And, not to boast, but his aim is stellar even among the other knights.</p><p>They’re an interesting sight, no doubt: running around, dodging behind trees to escape the other’s attack, their cloaks trailing behind them in the snow, bubbling with laughter and squealing either with joy when their snowball hits the other or in surprise when they’re the one hit. They’re lucky no one’s around to see them, Donghyuck especially—anyone will tell you this is not princely behaviour in the least. But manners and proper conduct and everything else is all but forgotten when he’s with Mark. He’s a star, indeed, but he shines the brightest when Mark’s by his side. </p><p>“You know this is treason, don’t you? Attacking your prince?” Donghyuck says as he retreats behind a tall bush, but his smile is still visible from in between the branches.</p><p>“Even if I’m only defending myself?” Mark asks. “From unsporting behaviour, as you put it, at that.” </p><p>Donghyuck crimsons lightly, but holds his composure.</p><p>“All the more so! You should gratefully receive my blows. Most would consider it an honour.”</p><p>Mark shakes his head, amused, and takes the opportunity to better angle his shot. Donghyuck isn’t fooling him in the least. The pretence of superiority is an act, and not even a good one, because Donghyuck’s expression is incandescent, youthful, tender, and his eyes twinkle brighter than the snow around him (and on him, thanks to Mark). Donghyuck does have a way of being the most un-princely prince Mark has ever met, while simultaneously embodying every single quality a prince should have.</p><p>The snowball smashes against Donghyuck’s shoulder, and he pops out of the bushes with pretend shock imprinted on his face. It’s a funny look on him, and Mark can’t hold back his snigger. </p><p>Until, of course, he realises that the reason Donghyuck stood up without any sassy remarks was simple: a ploy to distract him and score yet another clean hit to Mark’s chest. </p><p>Mark remembers they met in a similar way. </p><p>It happened during Mark’s first day in the city. A big day: beginning his training as a knight. He’d be a page for the foreseeable future, but his biggest dream had always been to become a knight, so that made the experience just a bit less harrowing.</p><p>And it was harrowing, oh, yes, terribly so. A new city, new people, big responsibilities, no room for mistakes. At only 7 years old, Mark was afraid. He didn’t want to admit it, least of all to himself, but he was. </p><p>That somehow changed when a snowball hit him by mistake, just as he entered the courtyard. Mark just barely caught the flushed, mirthful face of a young boy that broke into disbelieving laughter and clasped a hand over his mouth before it disappeared behind a tree.</p><p>Following a woman’s irritated instruction to apologise, that same boy walked up to Mark, hands behind his back, posture too perfect and walk too confident to believe he was feeling remorseful for his mistake. </p><p>That’s how Mark found himself face to face with Donghyuck of the Lee Royal Family, the crown prince, dressed in finer silks than Mark had ever seen, clearly having the makings of a prince even at his young age. Despite that, his eyes were sunny, lips curled into a minute smile, his expression not even remotely apologetic even as he gracefully asked for Mark’s forgiveness. Mark gave it—just as Donghyuck revealed what he’d been hiding behind his back. Another snowball. One that he made sure Mark wouldn’t dodge.</p><p>Even as a child, Mark wouldn’t have dreamt of allowing himself to be bested. So a similar snowball fight to the present one commenced, for minutes upon minutes of blissful ignorance. Their laughter rose across the courtyard, drowned out the woman's complaints, and Mark’s nerves dissipated along with it. By the time he'd had to leave, he'd already made a friend and given his word to return the next day for another round of play fighting, to see who'd win. </p><p>Donghyuck, the crown prince, and Mark’s first friend. Mark moved to a new place to follow through with his ambitions, and instead found him. On the day of the first snow, at that. </p><p>When at last they grow tired of running around after each other, they collapse onto the bed of snow, laughing like the children they no longer are. Life’s moulded them into different people. Life has often been cruel to them as well—keeping them apart for long, agonising periods of time, showing them how different their realities could be, putting them in uncomfortable, painful situations. But they’ve always found their way back to each other. Always found solace in each other’s arms. Always stood together against the world, didn’t allow anyone to tear them apart. </p><p>Fell in love along the way. Never fell out of it.</p><p>“Well that was exhausting,” Donghyuck says, giving Mark’s shoulder a congratulatory pat. “Who won, though?”</p><p>Mark only shakes his head bashfully.</p><p>Donghyuck drops his head on Mark’s shoulder with a groan. “You didn’t count? Why do we never remember to count?”</p><p>They truly never have. They always say the next year they’ll count each of their successful hits and decide who’s beat who, just to have something to tease the other about for the rest of the year, until the next snow, but they’ve yet to keep their promise. They get so lost in the joy of it all, the feelings from another life, from when they were young and careless and free, that they omit the supposed competition every time.</p><p>Mark smiles inwardly. Here in the snow, just the two of them, it somehow feels to him like they’re both winners. </p><p>“Next year,” he offers.</p><p>“‘Next year’…” Donghyuck grumbles and throws a handful of snow at Mark. “As if.”</p><p>For a few quiet minutes, they just sit there in the snow, face to face, catching their breath, occasionally letting a fresh chuckle escape them. Donghyuck smiles at him, restrained now, gentle, calm, and Mark thinks about how much he also missed him, though he didn’t voice it earlier. He’s always understood that they’ll never have as much time together as they may wish, yet… sometimes he can’t help but feel the weight of his absence. </p><p>Then Donghyuck frowns all of a sudden, and his eyes fleet away briefly. He looks like he’s just realised something important, like he might be considering his next words. He seems to be steeling himself in order to say something. When he looks back up at Mark, his smile is the softest Mark has ever seen it.</p><p>“Marry me, Mark,” he says. </p><p>His voice is light, breathless, but there’s an underlining seriousness to it that catches Mark off guard. Not that, well, the words don’t.</p><p>Mark’s eyes shoot wide open, his breathing becomes shallow, and his heart does this thing where it’s unsure whether to stop in place or beat twice as fast. He freezes all over not from the cold, but from the fear he’s misheard him. And a second fear, in fact—that he’s not misheard him.</p><p>“You- What? Marry you?”</p><p>“Yes. Marry me.”</p><p>“<em>Me</em>? Marry <em>you</em>?”</p><p>Donghyuck laughs, airy, the same way he’s laughed for as many years as Mark has known him. </p><p>“Is that a proposition you dislike?”</p><p>If Mark had been standing, he would have definitely lost his footing by now. </p><p>“Wait, Donghyuck. I mean, Your Royal Highness.” Donghyuck arches a teasing eyebrow at the title, and his expression hangs on a chuckle. Mark gives a sort of whine, a sound of embarrassment and bewilderment in the back of his throat, and shakes his head. He rephrases, “Hyuck. This- Do you realise what you’re saying?”</p><p>Donghyuck shrugs leisurely. “Would I be saying it otherwise? You know me better than that.”</p><p>Mark’s never been as eloquent as the prince, as is to be expected, but he’s never felt quite this incapable of forming sentences before. Or thoughts, for that matter. At least none that are in any way coherent.</p><p>With a gentle finger, Donghyuck lifts Mark’s fallen jaw back to its place and seals it with a kiss. </p><p>“I know this seems to be coming out of nowhere, but I’ve been meaning to ask you for a long time. To be honest, I promised myself I’d do it if somehow the first snowfall surprised us when we were together. Hand in hand, catching the first snowflakes with you. Not having to sneak out to welcome it this time; have it welcome us. A little game of destiny, perhaps, you know I like those.” He smiles, curling one finger around Mark’s. “But just now I realised I don’t care very much for destiny. I can carve my own. We’re standing together in the first snow of the year right now, aren’t we? And I want to marry you. So marry me, Mark. Will you?"</p><p>Mark has foolishly allowed himself to daydream about this a couple of times, but this? This feels like more of a dream than any of the ones that preceded it.</p><p>“Donghyuck,” he says, dazed, shaky. “I… It’s not that I don’t want to. I do, you know I do. But you’re the crown prince, you have a duty to the kingdom, to your people-”</p><p>“And I take all of my duties very seriously. For all I play around, they’ve always come first. I’ll always put the well-being of my people first, always. But in this, I believe I have another duty: to you.”</p><p>That’s a dangerous thing to tell him, so temptingly sweet, because Mark… well, Mark might just give in. Donghyuck takes his hand in his own, squeezes it, and he really must be a star, a real one, because his warmth spreads across every part of Mark.</p><p>“And to myself, more than anything. I won’t betray anyone by marrying you, but I would be betraying myself if I didn’t,” he adds, solemn. “We’ll decide the rest along the way. See what happens, figure it out together, as it comes. Adapt, accept, survive. <em>Strive</em>. But let me marry you.”</p><p>He’s looking at Mark so earnestly, so eagerly, Mark feels like his choice has already been made for him. </p><p>“And their Majesties?” he whispers, barely restraining the hopefulness in his voice, because he doesn’t know what else to say. And because he can no longer get himself to fight against what he knows to be what they both want.</p><p>“Mother and father? They’ll find a way to accept it. If not… Well, we could always marry in secret.”</p><p>He says it in jest, possibly only to lighten the mood. He succeeds, because Mark breaks into laughter. Now that’s an image: returning to the king and queen and telling them their marriage has been finalised without their blessing. Mark would probably not make it out of it alive, truth be told.</p><p>Donghyuck joins him. “Okay, maybe not. Not unless we really have to. But they do like you, and they care about me, and you come from a good background,” Though nowhere near as good as Donghyuck’s, and definitely not one that would make him a worthy match for the prince, “and you’re one of our best knights. It’ll take them a long time, but they’ll get used to the idea eventually. But why are we talking about them? This is about us two.”</p><p>Mark thinks it’s a bit more complicated than that, but doesn’t say anything. Since he had to go falling in love with the prince (of course he did—he doubts it could have been avoided), complicated isn’t anything new. It’s part of the deal, and Mark has accepted that.</p><p>“Never mind father and mother and the kingdom and anything else. If you want to say no for yourself, your feelings, do. But if not, forget about the rest and just say yes,” Donghyuck urges, a little jittery.</p><p>Part of knight training is control of your emotions, because in battle, they can become a fatal weakness. Cost you your life, your comrades’ lives, the fate of the entire kingdom. Mark’s certain that, if his life hung by a thread in the midst of enemy territory, Donghyuck’s voice would steal his focus the moment he heard it. It’s a frightening truth, but one he wouldn’t change for a hundred lifetimes and a hundred kingdoms.</p><p>He has no say over his feelings this time, either. He sucks in a long breath and hugs Donghyuck, tight and tight and tighter, and says, “Okay. I’ll marry you.”</p><p>“You will?” Donghyuck asks. Maybe he’s surprised. Maybe he wants a confirmation, to really believe it’s happening. Maybe he just wants to hear the words a second time. </p><p>“I will,” Mark reassures, himself as much as Donghyuck.</p><p>Donghyuck breaks the embrace and instead grins, so joyous it’s the perfect reflection of the first smile he’s ever offered Mark. Before Mark even has the chance to say anything, Donghyuck kisses him, sweet and enthusiastic and a little messy, loops his arms around Mark’s neck and pulls him down, down, down, until he’s fallen on his back and Mark’s on top of him. Donghyuck is lucky his wool cloak is as thick as it is, but they’ll need to return and change into dry clothes soon, lest they celebrate their engagement by coming down with a cold.</p><p>“This is, I suppose, only a confirmation of feelings I was already aware of,” Donghyuck says once he’s pulled away and he gazes up at Mark lovingly, “But I’m still happy you said yes.”</p><p>Mark brushes a stray lock of Donghyuck’s long curls from his face. “I don’t think there were any chances of me saying anything else.”</p><p>“No,” Donghyuck laughs, “No, there weren’t.”</p><p>“But how will we tell your parents? I’ll still want to continue my duties as a knight, so that’ll make things a bit more confusing. Oh, God, how will I tell the other knights--”</p><p>Before Mark bursts into a full ramble, Donghyuck presses a finger to his lips and shoots him a reprimanding, though gentle look. “Mark. You and me, right here, right now. No parents or knights or duties. Just us,” he reminds him.</p><p>“Okay,” Mark sighs. “Just us.”</p><p>“And if it’s just us, and you just promised to marry me… Isn’t there anything you should do?”</p><p>Mark frowns, swallowing hard. Is there some further part of the courting process that he’s perhaps forgotten? The desperate thought that there’s more to royal engagements than he could possibly ever know about (because he was never supposed to marry a prince, it was never the plan, and no one teaches you how these things work unless you’re, you know, royalty) strikes him, and a surge of panic sweeps him. </p><p>“I don’t… Is there?”</p><p>Donghyuck makes a face, a blend of disappointment and disbelief, before it turns into a lazy glare.</p><p>“Mark. Kiss me. You should kiss me again.”</p><p>Mark draws in a choked breath, at the same time a snort of embarrassment leaves him, and honestly, this has to be the most undignified sound he’s made in his entire life.</p><p>“Oh! Yes. Kiss you, yes. I should, shouldn’t I? I mean, I will, since you asked. Not that I don’t want to kiss you- I do! I- Goodness. I apologise. I still haven’t wrapped my head around the fact that we’re-”</p><p>Donghyuck barely suppresses his laughter. “We’re engaged to be married, yes. So please just-- Oh, never mind.”</p><p>And, taking matters into his own hands, raises his head, cups Mark’s face softly and kisses Mark himself. As he does it, he captures the snowflakes fallen on Mark's lips, and that seems to sufficiently play into the promise of ‘catching the first snowflakes’ with Mark. Mark gives a small ‘Oh’ of surprise, but steadies himself and kisses back with the same amount of eagerness, trying to transpose his feelings into his every move. </p><p>He’s not just kissing Donghyuck, or the crown prince. He’s kissing his fiancé. He might not believe this until he wakes up tomorrow and finds it to not have been a dream. </p><p>They don’t have an easy journey ahead of them, Mark muses. A prince marrying a knight. What an unbelieving, unheard of prospect. They'll have much to face together, and it's honestly a slightly more frightening prospect to him than running straight into battle. He's trained for that his entire life, but this is unknown territory. But Donghyuck’s right: they’ll figure it all out along the way. Prince and knight aside, they’re simply Donghyuck and Mark, as they've always been. The rest will clear up on its own.</p><p>“Mark. I can basically hear you overthinking right now,” Donghyuck mumbles, “Shut up. Or I’ll make you tell my parents about the engagement instead and I'll only watch from the sidelines.”</p><p>Yup. Donghyuck definitely isn’t a prince around Mark. He’s just Donghyuck. His Donghyuck.</p><p>Somehow, Mark knows they'll manage just fine.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you so much for reading! ♡♡</p><p>  <a href="https://twitter.com/newnctheroes">twitter</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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